Notice how my posts diminish in frequency the busier I get... it's sadly that typical ratio: the degree of business is inversely proportional to the frequency of posting. I miss my blog. So, I am pushing myself a little bit more tonight by adding a few tweaks here and there (a new song!) and putting in a post however succinct it may be.
You know, it's good to be home. After a full week in Austin and a weekend in Phoenix, I oddly find myself comforted by being here, in my own home. I still consider Austin my "home," but my place here, here in Bentonville, Arkansas, is truly what I've made home for myself. It's my refuge, away from the demands of the world, which is quite ironic since my office is in here, and that my soon-to-be (business) life is out there. Here, in this ever growing city. Maybe I feel this is home the most because I am actually responsible for something and that here, I have a chance to prove myself TO myself that I am a full fledged adult, capable of being entirely independent and self-reliant. I know I will do well; it's all up to me.
After 3 successive weekends of pure work, I find that I'm quite tired and need some rest. Gad, I hardly even remember or pay attention to the fact that it was my birthday last week. Yes, I am finally 26. I can hardly believe it. Birthdays used to be such a big deal. Now, it's all about work, which is really sad. I don't think Brad, nor anybody who cares about me would want that for me. I do enjoy what I do, but even I can admit that maybe I do it too much. I know that things will balance themselves out in the coming months. It's only a matter of time. With Rachel's help, things will be okay.
There was so much drama and goings-on in the office last week, I can hardly believe it. There's this odd sense of both detachment and uncertainty. I will not delve into any details, but I think we are managing things as best we could. Like I say, it's growing pains. Growth is almost always a painful thing, but it is utterly necessary; but, one must never forget their roots.
I think I'll end it here for now. My headaches have been particularly nasty the past couple of weeks and I think all this is finally taking a toll on me. It hurts to be an old fart ;)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Cringing a Little
I'm finally here in gorgeous Scottsdale, Arizona. I unfortunately didn't come at a good time, so Brad and Bruce recommended I just go straight to our hotel and then meet them for cocktails when the meetings are done.
The hotel is both different and gorgeous. Surrounded by lush greenery, with distinctive Arizonian/Aztec like architecture, the hotel almost seems like it doesn't belong where it is nestled. It's an oasis surrounded by a posh, $20 Million dollar a house (believe me, I looked - the houses were just so gorgeous!), residential neighborhood! It almost defeats the purpose. It doesn't feel like an escape anymore.
I saw a lot of these young, dressed up kids upon entering the lobby. Ah. Prom. Brings me back to hah, 11 years ago, during that oh so awkward period for me that was High School. Prom for me was very forgettable. And I tend to cringe when I'm around rich kids. I really shouldn't be so judgmental and give them the benefit of the doubt. But coming from an exclusive all-girls school, where rich kids were the norm, I can tell you that being around them was not entirely a pleasant experience, though there were diamonds in the rough. I just don't like seeing kids with the world before them not taking what they have seriously. They are so blessed, and I wish they would give and not think they were so high above everyone else. I know I can't help other people's behavior. I suppose I cringe because deep inside, I worry I'm like that, too. That I take a lot of the things I have been blessed with for granted. You know what they say, how the things we usually dislike in others are things we dislike in ourselves. Ah, well. Just thinking.
But hey, I'm on a blog-roll!
I screamed a celebratory woohoo in my rental earlier as I departed out of the PHX rental car building. Yes they have their own rental car building. It's huge, too. It was like a 10 minute shuttle ride from the airport. Anyway, I realized soon after that my windows were down. And so everyone in the building probably heard an echoing, resounding, swashbucklin' woohoo. :)
The hotel is both different and gorgeous. Surrounded by lush greenery, with distinctive Arizonian/Aztec like architecture, the hotel almost seems like it doesn't belong where it is nestled. It's an oasis surrounded by a posh, $20 Million dollar a house (believe me, I looked - the houses were just so gorgeous!), residential neighborhood! It almost defeats the purpose. It doesn't feel like an escape anymore.
I saw a lot of these young, dressed up kids upon entering the lobby. Ah. Prom. Brings me back to hah, 11 years ago, during that oh so awkward period for me that was High School. Prom for me was very forgettable. And I tend to cringe when I'm around rich kids. I really shouldn't be so judgmental and give them the benefit of the doubt. But coming from an exclusive all-girls school, where rich kids were the norm, I can tell you that being around them was not entirely a pleasant experience, though there were diamonds in the rough. I just don't like seeing kids with the world before them not taking what they have seriously. They are so blessed, and I wish they would give and not think they were so high above everyone else. I know I can't help other people's behavior. I suppose I cringe because deep inside, I worry I'm like that, too. That I take a lot of the things I have been blessed with for granted. You know what they say, how the things we usually dislike in others are things we dislike in ourselves. Ah, well. Just thinking.
But hey, I'm on a blog-roll!
I screamed a celebratory woohoo in my rental earlier as I departed out of the PHX rental car building. Yes they have their own rental car building. It's huge, too. It was like a 10 minute shuttle ride from the airport. Anyway, I realized soon after that my windows were down. And so everyone in the building probably heard an echoing, resounding, swashbucklin' woohoo. :)
Why I fly AA, and will never fly Delta. Ever again.
Before I forget, this is something I've been wanting to post FOREVER.
Last week, I was booked for a flight to Austin. I made it to the counter 2 minutes past the 30-minute rule for check-ins. (Why, oh, why did I have to park in the Economy lot in that cold, rainy morning?). I would normally not be worried since I like to check in online the day before, but I needed to check a piece of luggage. Worried, I almost embarrassingly request for the help of the AA Customer Service Rep behind the counter.
"Oh no!", she says, not unkindly. "Hmmm, let me see if it'll let me take care of that for you."
A few tense, resigned moments pass by.
"Voila! Here you go!" She hands me my baggage claim tag and tags my bag accordingly.
"Thank you so much!" I sigh in relief and admiration.
I deposit my bag with the TSA and I go on my merry way.
-------------------
A few months ago, I was to take a Delta flight (I insisted with Brad I take it as it was the cheapest) from Las Vegas to Toronto to meet with Sony Canada. My grandma decides she wants to help take me to the airport. And so, I am 5-minutes past the 30-minute rule. (I apparently enjoy cutting it close).
I run up to the counter, my legs already cramping from the effort of dragging luggage and running through the cavernous Las Vegas terminal.
I line up at the ticket counter. I see an Asian lady, and a white lady. I hope I get the Asian lady as she seems nice.
Aha, I got her.
"Hi, I'm supposed to be on that flight to Toronto that leaves at 6:30, going through Salt Lake City, can I make it?"
"Hmm, you're 5 minutes late for check in, I can't check you in," she says with a look of sheer scorn.
"Can't you override the system or something? I really need to get on that flight. It's only 5 minutes anyway," I say, desperately struggling against the sinking feeling in my stomach.
"No," she says, flatly. "You wouldn't make it anyway."
"Can you at least try? Please?"
"Ok, I'll try, but I don't think it's gonna work for you... Yup, it won't let me check you in. The system works that way."
"Ok then," I sigh, "what's the next available flight?"
"There's another one at 7:15. You can make it but you're going to have to hurry."
"Fine. Book it."
She sighs, shaking her head the whole time. I take out all my travel documents. My passport, my confirmation information. Everything.
"Next time, you should come to the airport at least 2 hours early. That way, you won't miss your flight" She says condescendingly.
I don't even bother explaining the details. I just look at her and wait for her to finish up. She asks for my passport in order to get my information and then hands it back "you better keep those documents, those are very important."
I resist the urge to reply sarcastically. "Yeah, no kidding," I say dryly, as I begin to reorganize my stuff.
"Wait, I need your passport again." And then she asks for help from her co-worker because she doesn't know how to process the change, apparently. "This is so hard," she sighs, muttering under her breath as she shakes her head.
After a few moments, she tells me there is a booking change fee of 25 something dollars. Resigned, I say "fine," and write a check. I feel guilty for it, but it is what it is. Brad and Cal will have to wait a little longer for me in Toronto.
She gives me instructions on how to get to my gate, again reinforcing the fact that I needed to hurry. I manage a thank you and get the hell outta there.
It's fine that people make mistakes, and it's fine that I have to move to another flight. It's no one's fault but mine. But do you have to be a f*&^(^% b*tch about it??? There's a reason your position is called customer service. Gad, that's such a pet peeve of mine. I hate horrible customer service, or the lack thereof.
It didn't help that going through ATL was horrible. Ironically, the TSA agent that inspected my bags (I was one of those randomly selected) with that day made my day. She was Asian too, funny enough, looked very intimidating, and was super nice. I ranted to her about this Delta employee, and she said she doesn't understand why some people are like that.
Sometimes things are really just not the way you expect them to be.
Lesson learned: You get what you pay for. :)
P.S. If Southwest flew out of XNA, they would probably be my #1, AA being a close 2nd.
Last week, I was booked for a flight to Austin. I made it to the counter 2 minutes past the 30-minute rule for check-ins. (Why, oh, why did I have to park in the Economy lot in that cold, rainy morning?). I would normally not be worried since I like to check in online the day before, but I needed to check a piece of luggage. Worried, I almost embarrassingly request for the help of the AA Customer Service Rep behind the counter.
"Oh no!", she says, not unkindly. "Hmmm, let me see if it'll let me take care of that for you."
A few tense, resigned moments pass by.
"Voila! Here you go!" She hands me my baggage claim tag and tags my bag accordingly.
"Thank you so much!" I sigh in relief and admiration.
I deposit my bag with the TSA and I go on my merry way.
-------------------
A few months ago, I was to take a Delta flight (I insisted with Brad I take it as it was the cheapest) from Las Vegas to Toronto to meet with Sony Canada. My grandma decides she wants to help take me to the airport. And so, I am 5-minutes past the 30-minute rule. (I apparently enjoy cutting it close).
I run up to the counter, my legs already cramping from the effort of dragging luggage and running through the cavernous Las Vegas terminal.
I line up at the ticket counter. I see an Asian lady, and a white lady. I hope I get the Asian lady as she seems nice.
Aha, I got her.
"Hi, I'm supposed to be on that flight to Toronto that leaves at 6:30, going through Salt Lake City, can I make it?"
"Hmm, you're 5 minutes late for check in, I can't check you in," she says with a look of sheer scorn.
"Can't you override the system or something? I really need to get on that flight. It's only 5 minutes anyway," I say, desperately struggling against the sinking feeling in my stomach.
"No," she says, flatly. "You wouldn't make it anyway."
"Can you at least try? Please?"
"Ok, I'll try, but I don't think it's gonna work for you... Yup, it won't let me check you in. The system works that way."
"Ok then," I sigh, "what's the next available flight?"
"There's another one at 7:15. You can make it but you're going to have to hurry."
"Fine. Book it."
She sighs, shaking her head the whole time. I take out all my travel documents. My passport, my confirmation information. Everything.
"Next time, you should come to the airport at least 2 hours early. That way, you won't miss your flight" She says condescendingly.
I don't even bother explaining the details. I just look at her and wait for her to finish up. She asks for my passport in order to get my information and then hands it back "you better keep those documents, those are very important."
I resist the urge to reply sarcastically. "Yeah, no kidding," I say dryly, as I begin to reorganize my stuff.
"Wait, I need your passport again." And then she asks for help from her co-worker because she doesn't know how to process the change, apparently. "This is so hard," she sighs, muttering under her breath as she shakes her head.
After a few moments, she tells me there is a booking change fee of 25 something dollars. Resigned, I say "fine," and write a check. I feel guilty for it, but it is what it is. Brad and Cal will have to wait a little longer for me in Toronto.
She gives me instructions on how to get to my gate, again reinforcing the fact that I needed to hurry. I manage a thank you and get the hell outta there.
It's fine that people make mistakes, and it's fine that I have to move to another flight. It's no one's fault but mine. But do you have to be a f*&^(^% b*tch about it??? There's a reason your position is called customer service. Gad, that's such a pet peeve of mine. I hate horrible customer service, or the lack thereof.
It didn't help that going through ATL was horrible. Ironically, the TSA agent that inspected my bags (I was one of those randomly selected) with that day made my day. She was Asian too, funny enough, looked very intimidating, and was super nice. I ranted to her about this Delta employee, and she said she doesn't understand why some people are like that.
Sometimes things are really just not the way you expect them to be.
Lesson learned: You get what you pay for. :)
P.S. If Southwest flew out of XNA, they would probably be my #1, AA being a close 2nd.
Sleepless in DFW
I'm currently in the DFW Airport's unbelievably gorgeous-shopping-centre-like D Terminal, waiting for my connecting flight to start boarding. I've been here since 9:15am. It's currently 12:03PM. My flight doesn't leave till 1:40PM. I've been passing the time by reading up on NACDS and any pertinent information I need to know because I am enroute to PHX to attend what is apparently the most prestigious conference in the (their) industry. If the tone of my writing seems tired and monotone, it would be because I didn't get any sleep last night :) I am surviving on pure endorphins and java, right now. It's a miracle I can even write and think!
I just couldn't sleep. Whenever something big and exciting like this is coming my way, I am just so caught in the excitement and the desire to be as prepared as possible that I drop all else (including sleep) and just think about it and prepare for it as much as I can. (Check out my article in my work-related blog, if you are an authorized reader ;)). Not that I didn't procrastinate. I could have been reading this material before bed and all that. But no. That's my "personal time." Might as well work during "travel time" if travel time is for work. Besides, I've been working long hours for my "day job." ;)
It's a Saturday today - yes, I am working, but yes, I can't complain. I don't think I deserve all these opportunities that have been given to me. Sometimes, I think it's too much. God's given me so much I don't deserve, I don't even know what to do sometimes! So a lot of the times, I'm too hard on myself. I realize that now. I have been given so much that I feel I must give even more in return, and I get disappointed when I find I can't give as much as I want to. It's hard to remember that all you have to do is give it your best and that should be enough; that's all you can do. Bleh. I SO want to do a good job - in this, in Bentonville, in life, in general. I see so much to improve in me, it's not even funny. It's so funny how I am so hardworking at work but I'm such a slacker in other things - I don't keep in touch as much with family and friends (including God), don't take as many chances as I should, don't love as recklessly as I should, don't hold back as much as I should... And I always wonder, how can one ever grow out of it? Out of the familiar shell they find so much comfort in? Is it simply change? The occurence of some cataclysmic event so that they are forced to adapt? I don't know. All I know is I so want to get there. I just don't know how.
BUT! I will learn.
(Dad? Brad? Are you there? ;) )
Maybe I should start praying, again.
I just couldn't sleep. Whenever something big and exciting like this is coming my way, I am just so caught in the excitement and the desire to be as prepared as possible that I drop all else (including sleep) and just think about it and prepare for it as much as I can. (Check out my article in my work-related blog, if you are an authorized reader ;)). Not that I didn't procrastinate. I could have been reading this material before bed and all that. But no. That's my "personal time." Might as well work during "travel time" if travel time is for work. Besides, I've been working long hours for my "day job." ;)
It's a Saturday today - yes, I am working, but yes, I can't complain. I don't think I deserve all these opportunities that have been given to me. Sometimes, I think it's too much. God's given me so much I don't deserve, I don't even know what to do sometimes! So a lot of the times, I'm too hard on myself. I realize that now. I have been given so much that I feel I must give even more in return, and I get disappointed when I find I can't give as much as I want to. It's hard to remember that all you have to do is give it your best and that should be enough; that's all you can do. Bleh. I SO want to do a good job - in this, in Bentonville, in life, in general. I see so much to improve in me, it's not even funny. It's so funny how I am so hardworking at work but I'm such a slacker in other things - I don't keep in touch as much with family and friends (including God), don't take as many chances as I should, don't love as recklessly as I should, don't hold back as much as I should... And I always wonder, how can one ever grow out of it? Out of the familiar shell they find so much comfort in? Is it simply change? The occurence of some cataclysmic event so that they are forced to adapt? I don't know. All I know is I so want to get there. I just don't know how.
BUT! I will learn.
(Dad? Brad? Are you there? ;) )
Maybe I should start praying, again.
Friday, April 20, 2007
I Heart My Coffee
Today I had my first try of Gevalia Kaffe. It seemed like a great deal to order any two "bricks" of coffee and get a coffee maker and scoop for free for only $14.95. Admittedly, I didn't expect much; I mean, if they are too desperate to sell their coffee by offering up a free coffee maker and coffee scoop then it can't be THAT good, can it? Anyhow, being the nut I am for Viennese coffee and all things dark chocolate/cinnamon, I ordered the Cafe Sperl and the Mocha Coffee varieties.
Oh my goodness.
I am having the Mocha Coffee right now and it is absolutely delicious. It's a draught of heaven in a cup!
Y-U-M.
Oh my goodness.
I am having the Mocha Coffee right now and it is absolutely delicious. It's a draught of heaven in a cup!
Y-U-M.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wonderful news
My dad just informed me today that he plans to visit come July/August. I am so excited, I can't wait! It would be a year and 3 or 4 months since I last saw him! I can't wait.
I'm also looking forward to my brother's graduation. I am really hoping he can come live with me soon after. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
I'm also looking forward to my brother's graduation. I am really hoping he can come live with me soon after. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Bound for Austin
I'm leaving for Austin tomorrow, Friday the 13th - I can't imagine a better day to fly :)
I was supposed to leave today but was too sick to travel. Yesterday was the worst. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice to say, it was horrible. What bad timing, too. I have a huge project that is due and I have no idea how I'm going to be able to finish it on time between that and the other little things that occur as the day passes + my personal stuff here.
Note to self: Must get a couple days off when doing something major like relocating to another state. I just need a breather!
I'm going to Austin tomorrow to train some of my teammates on the Account I passed on to Raquel. It's just the two of us who've been working on it and we are slowly but surely dying! I don't even have the time to work on my new stuff, I feel so overloaded! We've been so busy working that there is barely time to breathe. This weekend, Raquel just reached her breaking point and we talked it over. As sad as it is, I never had the chance to think about any of the points she brought up previously because I've just been too busy - no time to waste! So, I am going to Austin to share the love. I was just asked by Brad a couple days ago if I could go. I totally did not expect the trip coming and I was pleasantly surprised.
Anyhow, just needed to let a bit out. I really must finish this project. *sigh* And I have to pack. Ah! How life comes at you so fast.
See y'all in Austin!
**I heart Austin. I can't wait to do my dinners with Raquel again. Taverna and Japon, here we come!!! :) **
P.S. I'm going to PHX a couple days after my trip to AUS. Then back to AUS again, and then finally back to XNA. Whew! I did tell Brad I loved travel. I never thought he'd take it soooo seriously! ;) But seriously, I heart it, I heart my job, I heart my boss, and I heart my team. *Grin*
I was supposed to leave today but was too sick to travel. Yesterday was the worst. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice to say, it was horrible. What bad timing, too. I have a huge project that is due and I have no idea how I'm going to be able to finish it on time between that and the other little things that occur as the day passes + my personal stuff here.
Note to self: Must get a couple days off when doing something major like relocating to another state. I just need a breather!
I'm going to Austin tomorrow to train some of my teammates on the Account I passed on to Raquel. It's just the two of us who've been working on it and we are slowly but surely dying! I don't even have the time to work on my new stuff, I feel so overloaded! We've been so busy working that there is barely time to breathe. This weekend, Raquel just reached her breaking point and we talked it over. As sad as it is, I never had the chance to think about any of the points she brought up previously because I've just been too busy - no time to waste! So, I am going to Austin to share the love. I was just asked by Brad a couple days ago if I could go. I totally did not expect the trip coming and I was pleasantly surprised.
Anyhow, just needed to let a bit out. I really must finish this project. *sigh* And I have to pack. Ah! How life comes at you so fast.
See y'all in Austin!
**I heart Austin. I can't wait to do my dinners with Raquel again. Taverna and Japon, here we come!!! :) **
P.S. I'm going to PHX a couple days after my trip to AUS. Then back to AUS again, and then finally back to XNA. Whew! I did tell Brad I loved travel. I never thought he'd take it soooo seriously! ;) But seriously, I heart it, I heart my job, I heart my boss, and I heart my team. *Grin*
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Change is Coming
The winds of change blow yet again. Today I was inspired to design my template to be a bit more customized. Right now, yes, you see a whole slew of pictures from The Little Prince, my favorite book, but the template is still one of those built in ones that come with blogger. They are nice templates, mind, but I need something a little more me. And I know what I want, too :P
So I am posting this also to remind myself to do this in my "spare time." Let's hope it's done when the year ends ;)
Ciao and good night!
So I am posting this also to remind myself to do this in my "spare time." Let's hope it's done when the year ends ;)
Ciao and good night!
Javaholic
One of the most important things to consider when moving (assuming you are a coffee junkie, of course), is the accessibility of coffee. I didn't have a coffee maker in Austin. Coffee shops were everywhere and we had a pretty darn good supply of good coffee at work.
Now that I'm in Arkansas, I realize I would have found myself wanting had it not been for a fortunate accident wherein Cal, our COO/VP at work, discovered my love for good coffee. Thanks to him, I was introduced to this. It is absolutely delicious. And the man, wonderful as he is, sent me a whole boxful when I moved here.
The one thing I failed to consider at the time was that I had no coffee maker! For now, thank goodness for Carrie :D She's such a god-send. She loves coffee, too, and shares coffee with me everyday! I gave her a couple of "bricks" to brew with :)
Serendipitously, there's this thing you get from USPS whenever you move... kind of that welcome to your new home type of mailing, filled with coupons and special offers. And then I am reminded: Gevalia. For $14.95, I could get myself a stainless steel coffee maker, a stainless steel coffee scoop, and two half-pound bags of my coffee of choice. I selected the "coffee mocha" and the Viennesse Roast. All this and the Lavazza coffee!!! I can't wait for the stuff to arrive.
I am one happy girl. :D I'll let you know how it goes ;)
Now that I'm in Arkansas, I realize I would have found myself wanting had it not been for a fortunate accident wherein Cal, our COO/VP at work, discovered my love for good coffee. Thanks to him, I was introduced to this. It is absolutely delicious. And the man, wonderful as he is, sent me a whole boxful when I moved here.
The one thing I failed to consider at the time was that I had no coffee maker! For now, thank goodness for Carrie :D She's such a god-send. She loves coffee, too, and shares coffee with me everyday! I gave her a couple of "bricks" to brew with :)
Serendipitously, there's this thing you get from USPS whenever you move... kind of that welcome to your new home type of mailing, filled with coupons and special offers. And then I am reminded: Gevalia. For $14.95, I could get myself a stainless steel coffee maker, a stainless steel coffee scoop, and two half-pound bags of my coffee of choice. I selected the "coffee mocha" and the Viennesse Roast. All this and the Lavazza coffee!!! I can't wait for the stuff to arrive.
I am one happy girl. :D I'll let you know how it goes ;)
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Little Prince
There is this memory I always recall with at least some form of amusement.
I was in college, then, and I happened to be sitting at the library next to a classmate of mine, whom we shall call Arse (that nick was quite appropriate for this person in more ways than one, really).
I don't remember how the conversation led to The Little Prince and how it apparently was our favorite book. And then Arse suddenly says with much surprising earnestness, "how many times have you read it?", as if it was some competition. "Five", I say with much nonchalance. He beams up at me and says "Ha, I beat you. I read it seven times." I look at him in passing acknowledgment, saying "okay," as he smiles up at me in victory a few moments more.
I thought about it later, wondering why I was so disappointed in Arse's response and reaction. I was so eager to learn what he gleaned from the text, and what his interpretations were; what were the "moral values" he deduced from the child-adult fable... and all he wants to know is how many times I've read it?
Really, what does it matter? What does it matter if you've gone through the same potentially life-changing experience and you've walked away with either nothing from it, or something, but that something stays dormant or is used only for self-serving reasons. It's like having a pencil you try to sharpen all the time but the lead keeps falling off, and the piece of wood gets ever shorter. What's the point, then? If that's all that happens, you've totally missed it.
So why do I like the Little Prince so much? (If you can't already tell). At the end of it, I really don't know. Maybe it's because I discern something new every time I read it. Maybe because the language is so simple yet so beautiful and so meaningful. Maybe because the story seems so simple but there is so much more beneath it. Or maybe, I just don't want to lose the child within me (because that is the best way to lose perspective in the world). It's a book that leaves me undone and wondering every time I read it. Maybe that's what it is. The book never loses its magic and its message.
I was in college, then, and I happened to be sitting at the library next to a classmate of mine, whom we shall call Arse (that nick was quite appropriate for this person in more ways than one, really).
I don't remember how the conversation led to The Little Prince and how it apparently was our favorite book. And then Arse suddenly says with much surprising earnestness, "how many times have you read it?", as if it was some competition. "Five", I say with much nonchalance. He beams up at me and says "Ha, I beat you. I read it seven times." I look at him in passing acknowledgment, saying "okay," as he smiles up at me in victory a few moments more.
I thought about it later, wondering why I was so disappointed in Arse's response and reaction. I was so eager to learn what he gleaned from the text, and what his interpretations were; what were the "moral values" he deduced from the child-adult fable... and all he wants to know is how many times I've read it?
Really, what does it matter? What does it matter if you've gone through the same potentially life-changing experience and you've walked away with either nothing from it, or something, but that something stays dormant or is used only for self-serving reasons. It's like having a pencil you try to sharpen all the time but the lead keeps falling off, and the piece of wood gets ever shorter. What's the point, then? If that's all that happens, you've totally missed it.
So why do I like the Little Prince so much? (If you can't already tell). At the end of it, I really don't know. Maybe it's because I discern something new every time I read it. Maybe because the language is so simple yet so beautiful and so meaningful. Maybe because the story seems so simple but there is so much more beneath it. Or maybe, I just don't want to lose the child within me (because that is the best way to lose perspective in the world). It's a book that leaves me undone and wondering every time I read it. Maybe that's what it is. The book never loses its magic and its message.
Happy Easter!!!
Hope you all had a good one.
Wishing you lots of God's grace and blessings in the days to come.
Wishing you lots of God's grace and blessings in the days to come.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
What Brad really thinks of me
I've been meaning to post this for awhile now. It's highly entertaining. I was asked to do a writeup about myself for our company newsletter since I was moving to Bentonville to establish an office for our company. I really don't like writing about myself in order to market me, so I requested my ever so kind boss, Brad, and BFF, Rachel, to take on the task. Given their extremely competitive natures, they decided to make a competition out of it. Below is the winning piece:
As part of our upcoming RW3 Wal-Mart initiative for 2007, we will be transitioning Jenny Lorenzo, a Senior InSight Group Business Analyst, to a new position. Jenny has been with the InSight Group for over two years including roles as Report Analyst, Design Engineer and Business Analyst. Ms. Lorenzo has spent much of your RW3 career as the Lead Analyst for the Nestle Foods account. Jenny’s new title will be Strategic Business Analyst for the InSight Group.
Jenny will be relocating to Bentonville, AR in the first quarter of the year. She will be establishing a key presence for RW3 in the CPG industry centered around the Wal-Mart base of operations. Jenny will be able to provide onsite consulting and analysis with both current and new clients in the area.
Jenny is a highly qualified RW3 resource and has earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Information Technology. Combining her vast education with her close working relationships with CPG clients has allowed Jenny to excel in her many roles with the InSight Team.
Ms. Lorenzo enjoys singing, reading and creative writing. Her new CD entitled “Nestle Nights” will be out in March. Jenny hopes to stop using Crack in 2007 and wants to find two men to be her submissive slaves. Jenny can be reached on her website, www.jennyisthebestpersonintheworld.com. Jenny’s fondest memory is framing her best friend into going to jail when she actually robbed the church. Her favorite saying is “F-YOU, Bitch”. We are so excited for her to get the hell out of Austin.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did ;) You can find the edited and published version here.
As part of our upcoming RW3 Wal-Mart initiative for 2007, we will be transitioning Jenny Lorenzo, a Senior InSight Group Business Analyst, to a new position. Jenny has been with the InSight Group for over two years including roles as Report Analyst, Design Engineer and Business Analyst. Ms. Lorenzo has spent much of your RW3 career as the Lead Analyst for the Nestle Foods account. Jenny’s new title will be Strategic Business Analyst for the InSight Group.
Jenny will be relocating to Bentonville, AR in the first quarter of the year. She will be establishing a key presence for RW3 in the CPG industry centered around the Wal-Mart base of operations. Jenny will be able to provide onsite consulting and analysis with both current and new clients in the area.
Jenny is a highly qualified RW3 resource and has earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Information Technology. Combining her vast education with her close working relationships with CPG clients has allowed Jenny to excel in her many roles with the InSight Team.
Ms. Lorenzo enjoys singing, reading and creative writing. Her new CD entitled “Nestle Nights” will be out in March. Jenny hopes to stop using Crack in 2007 and wants to find two men to be her submissive slaves. Jenny can be reached on her website, www.jennyisthebestpersonintheworld.com. Jenny’s fondest memory is framing her best friend into going to jail when she actually robbed the church. Her favorite saying is “F-YOU, Bitch”. We are so excited for her to get the hell out of Austin.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did ;) You can find the edited and published version here.
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